Flower profile

Alpine sweet-vetch

Hedysarum alpinum

Alpine sweet-vetch (Hedysarum alpinum) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Alaska

Alpine sweet-vetch is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

11states where USDA records it

994AK sightings*

1,114U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

Hedysarum alpinum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name alpine sweetvetch, bear root, or eskimo potato. It is called masu, mashu, masru or mazu in the Iñupiaq language, and as food aigak, meaning edible root. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
From Wikipedia's article Hedysarum alpinum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 994 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #46 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Alaska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (31 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alaska: No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MI (S1), VT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records alpine sweet-vetch in 11 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Kenai Peninsula, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Alpine sweet-vetch a high shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -62 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -62 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 28 to 80 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown
Can be propagated by: container, seed, sod
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for HEAL. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Hedysarum americanum, Hedysarum caucasicum, Hedysarum philoscia, Hedysarum sibiricum, Hedysarum truncatum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 36 counties across 8 states; the most are in Alaska (17), Wyoming (9), South Dakota (3).

Other Hedysarum on Bloomipedia (1): Boreal sweet-vetch.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Alaska flowers

Nootka lupine

Lupinus nootkatensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–July

Seaside pea

Lathyrus japonicus

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–July

White clover

Trifolium repens

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in AK

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEAL.
iNaturalist, Hedysarum alpinum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Hedysarum alpinum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hedysarum alpinum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Robbie Hannawacker via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.